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VEX Community Teams and Friday Night Robotics

Post author By blenon
Post date September 29, 2021
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VEX Community Teams (VRC & VEXIQ)
Registration Closes Oct 15 http://vexcommunityteam.novastem.us/register

VRC (VEX Robotics Competition) Teams
Participants will build MOBY, a VRC robot to compete in the VRC game Tipping Point. Students will learn how to compete in the VRC yearly competition, make an engineering notebook to document team decisions on robot design, develop a game strategy and create an autonomous program to play the game. This session is perfect for students who want to compete in robotics.

After students learn the game, develop a game strategy, and have a solid foundation of engineering and programming, they will be allowed to make advanced modifications to their robot as well as explore more advanced programming features to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their robot on the field.

In addition to the weekly meetings there are Friday Night Robotics in the Fab Lab (every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month) where it is open to any teams to come build, program and scrimmage. This is optional for the community teams but encouraged.

There will be opportunities to compete in robotics competitions as well and teams can register for an additional fee to participate.

Oct 5 through Dec 14, 2021 on Tuesdays from 6pm to 8:30pm at the NOVA Manassas Trailside Building.

Grade Level: 6th to 10th

Registration Fee $349 ($50 discount when you register 2 people)
http://vexcommunityteam.novastem.us/register

VEX IQ (VIQC) Teams
Participants will continue building FLING, a VIQC robot to compete in the VIQC game Pitching In. Students will learn how to compete in the yearly challenge, make an engineering notebook to document team decisions on robot design, develop a game strategy and create an autonomous program to play the game. This session is perfect for students who want to compete in robotics.

In addition to the weekly meetings there are Friday Night Robotics in the Fab Lab (every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month) where it is open to any teams to come build, program and scrimmage. This is optional for the community teams but encouraged.

There will be opportunities to compete in robotics competitions as well and teams can register for an additional fee to participate.

Oct 7 through Dec 16, 2021 on Tuesdays from 6pm to 8:30pm at the NOVA Manassas Trailside Building.

Grade Level: 4th to 8th

Registration Fee $349 ($50 discount when you register 2 people)
http://vexcommunityteam.novastem.us/register

Friday Night Robotics at the NOVA Fab Lab

The NOVA Fab Lab is open on Friday nights for VEX teams to scrimmage and work on their robots throughout the year.

The 1^stand 3^rd Friday’s of the month are designated for VEX IQ Challenge (VIQC) teams and the 2^nd and 4^th Friday’s for VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) teams. A game field will be available along with space for teams to work.

Sessions will start on Sept 17 from 5 to 10 pm and continue until the Virginia State VEX Championship in March 2021.

A one-time registration fee of $10 per participant is required for this recurring event at fablab.novastem.us/FridayNightRobotics (NOTE: Parental consent is required in the registration process as each participant needs to register – coaches cannot sign-up their entire team in one registration).

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IET Events In October

October 13: IET Virtual Job and Internship Fair

NOVA IET and NOVA Workforce are hosting a virtual Information and Engineering Technologies Job and Internship Fair for NOVA students and alumni in Career Connection on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 12-3 PM EST. Companies from various IT industries will be represented including Cybersecurity, Data Center Operations, Cloud Computing, and more. Get connected with the companies in your field for networking and internship & job opportunities. Contact novacareerservices@nvcc.edu with questions

October 14: Women in IET Coffee Chat

Join us for the October Women in IET and Computer Science Coffee Chat where we will dive into how following your passions can lead to career opportunities. In this 1-hour panel discussion, panelists will discuss how they made the switch to a STEM career after starting out in a completely different field and how you can carve out the career you want by following your own unique journey.

October 18 – October 22: NOVA IET Cyber Week

As part of National Cybersecurity awareness month, the NOVA IET division will host a series of virtual events and workshops during Cyber week 2021 to educate, engage and inspire students interested in pursuing careers in cybersecurity. Each day we will host a different workshop that addresses a relevant topic including taking the CompTIA Security+ exam, navigating a career in Cyber security, and writing a cybersecurity resume. For an overview of the week’s events see the list below. You can register for all NOVA IET Cyber Week Events at iet.novastem.us/Register

Monday, Oct 18 6:00 PM- 7:00 PM – Acing the CompTIA Security+ Exam Part 1

Kick-off NOVA IET Cybersecurity Awareness Week with a deep dive into what it takes to ace the CompTIA Security+ Exam. This is a two-part workshop with Part 1 being led by NOVA IET Professor, Kwabena (KK) Konadu. In this one-hour virtual workshop, Professor KK will cover best practices and resources for preparing for the CompTIA Security+ Exam, exam topics, and walk attendees through a practice round of answering multiple-choice questions. iet.novastem.us/Register

Tuesday, Oct 19 6:30 PM-7:30 PM – Cybersercurity Resume Writing with Katia’s Cylife

You can’t land a job in Cybersecurity without a good Cybersecurity resume. Join professional Cybersecurity Resume writer and founder of Katia’s Cylife, Katia Dean as she walks you through actionable steps to build a dynamic resume tailored for cybersecurity roles. In this session you will discuss resume action verbs, design tips and tricks, and how to consider positioning yourself. Katia will also walk you through a live resume feedback session and a brief demo on the NIST 800-181 Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. iet.novastem.us/Register

Wednesday, Oct 20 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM – Landing a Job in Cybersecurity Recruiters Panel

On day 3 of NOVA IET Cyber Week a panel of cybersecurity recruiters will share their perspectives on what it takes to land a job in cybersecurity. If you are job searching, making a career switch into cyber, or just curious about what a career in cybersecurity looks like, join us for this virtual panel discussion to get your questions answered. iet.novastem.us/Register

Thursday, Oct 21 6:00 PM-7:30 PM- IET Speaker Series featuring Nick Espinosa

Cybersecurity is an exploding industry and with over five million vacant positions available around the world, the need for qualified professionals is immediate! In our second installment of the IET Speaker Series, Nick Espinosa, cybersecurity thought leader, TEDx Speaker, and regular columnist for Forbes, will talk about the state of the world today as it relates to cybersecurity for everyone and the issues we all face together. Join us virtually on Thursday, October 21, 2021, at 6 PM EST as Nick will help us understand what a career path in cybersecurity looks like so everyone who is interested can join the ranks of those who are defending our governments, businesses, educational institutions, healthcare, and more, around the world! iet.novastem.us/Register

Friday, Oct 22 10:00 AM- 11:30 AM – Acing the CompTIA Security+ Exam Part II

End NOVA IET Cyber Week by finishing up your CompTIA Security+ Exam Prep with Zach Lawrence, NOVA IET Cybersecurity Professor. In this 90-minute session Zach will walk you through how to approach answering performance-based questions on the CompTIA Security+ Exam. iet.novastem.us/Register

IET and Computer Science Clubs

Cyber.OPS – Cybersecurity Club Manassas Campus

Cyber.OPS Club is held every Thursday in Trailside room 249 on the Manassas campus from 5:30PM – 7:00PM. Fall semester meetings will focus on the following topics: Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Services, Cloud Computing, Computer Networking and Advanced topics: Firewalls, UTM and IDS/IPS. Spring semester meetings will focus primarily on offensive security. Club members will be exposed to a broad range of topics Including but not limited to intro to Windows and Linux, Web servers and more.

For more info contact Zach Lawrence mlawrence@nvcc.edu or Santwana Das sdas@nvcc.edu

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Fab Lab Activities in October

Post author By blenon
Post date September 28, 2021
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NOVA Makers

NOVA Makers is a new program at the Fab Lab in which members can use the lab to work on personal projects, participate in regional/national design challenges, and/or gain more skills in a Maker community setting. Membership is open to NOVA college students, faculty & staff, and high school students. Register at http://fablab.novastem.us/Sign-up

Middle School Maker Club

Starting Saturday, October 16th, middle school students will be able to participate in a Maker Club at the NOVA Fab Lab. The use of fabrication equipment (such as 3D printers, laser cutters, plastic thermoforming machines, etc.) in conjunction with other technologies will allow for integrative making experiences. Register at http://fablab.novastem.us/Sign-up

Bristlebots & Book Read: This is What An Engineer Looks Like

On Saturday, October 9^thfrom 10:30am to 12:00pm, young children will be able to build and test a motorized bristlebot, read and hear from the author of This Is What An Engineer Looks Like, and learn about STEAM careers and engineering. The 17-year-old author and illustrator, Ayonnah Tinsley, will be participating via live stream to read and discuss her book. Ayonnah is a Congressional Award Gold Medal recipient for her extensive volunteer efforts and STEAM awareness activities. Her book educates young students on STEAM careers with an emphasis on encouraging women and minorities to enter STEAM fields. Participants will receive a copy of the book and be able to take home their bristlebot.

After the session, an optional tour of the Fabrication Lab will be available. Open to children in kindergarten through 4^th grades. Cost is $45 per child or free for children of NOVA Students. Open to the public. Pre-registration is required at http://fablab.novastem.us/Sign-up.

3D Printing Challenge – Tiny House Winner!

Congratulations to Daniel Moone for his winning design of a 3D Printed Tiny House! This challenge was open to all participants in four of our 3D Printing Fabrication Camps this summer. Campers had to meet certain specifications while using CAD software to design their scaled models. Each design was then fabricated using additive manufacturing (Stratasys F123 series 3D printers) and judged based upon the physical prototype. Daniel received our top prize of an in-person tour of the Fab Lab, a Parallax Scribbler 3 Robot kit, and his fabricated tiny house.

Grant News: NOVA awarded NSF ATE Grant Award – Makers By Design

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded NOVA a three-year grant, set to begin in September 2021, to establish a Professional Learning program in design thinking pedagogy for secondary and postsecondary educators. Makers By Design (MBD) as we call it, is officially titled: Supporting Instructors to Embed Design Thinking in Digital Fabrication Courses.

Makers By Design Overview:

> Manufacturing and engineering technologies industries are facing a looming skills gap.

> Employers identify increasing need for soft skills (critical and design thinking, problem solving and communication) as manufacturing transitions to high-tech.

> There is a need to align engineering and engineering technology with industry defined technical and soft skills.

> MBD is a professional learning (PL) program for secondary and postsecondary educators focused on developing design thinking pedagogy through digital fabrication (e.g. 3D printing, laser engraving, CNC) techniques.

> Aligned with NSF includes broadening participation in STEM for underrepresented minorities.

> MBD will foster a community of practice between teachers, faculty, makerspace educators and industry.

The grant curriculum will focus on design thinking projects that involve digital fabrication techniques, including 3D printing, laser engraving, and Computer Numerical Control milling. The Professional Learning program is expected to improve the educator’ teaching practices and enable them to update existing curricula and lesson plans to better align with industry relevant skills and techniques. The project also intends to create a community of practice around design thinking in digital fabrication that will build a beneficial network among secondary teachers, community college faculty, makerspace educators, and regional employers. It is expected that the project will support 36 secondary and postsecondary educators who will teach more than 3,000 K-12 and undergraduate students in the northern Virginia region. These students will have greater interest in and be better prepared for technical careers in manufacturing and engineering.

The overarching goal of the project is to use Professional Learning to move digital fabrication instruction beyond the reproduction of simple objects. Instead, the project will train educators to use pedagogy and cognitive strategies to embed design thinking into their digital fabrication lessons and courses. As a result, students will learn to use design thinking to build complex, useful objects.

The project’s specific aims include to: (1) create a professional learning institute; (2) host digital fabrication summer camps at NOVA and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington; (3) host a semiannual design and digital fabrication challenge; and (4) establish an online resource library of projects and lesson plans created and refined by educators in the community of practice. The project is expected to advance: understanding of the pedagogies that help to develop student interest in manufacturing and engineering; the capacity for Professional Learning to facilitate integration of design thinking into classrooms and makerspaces; and the extent to which a capstone design challenge may foster sustainable change in instructional practices. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.

The NOVA Fab Lab has a Makerspace utilized by many NOVA programs and the community as well as a new Makers Program for college students coming up this fall

Go to http://fablab.novastem.us/Sign-up for current Fab Lab program/event registration and check out the NOVA Fab Lab Page on our website.

Outside Resources

Computer Science Instructional Resources & Professional Learning

In partnership with Prince William County Schools (PWCS), NOVA SySTEMic developed instructional resources that align with the 6th Grade Computer Science Standards of Learning. Funding for this project was provided by the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) Advancing Computer Science Education grant that was awarded to PWCS. Additionally, professional learning sessions were offered to educators by NOVA SySTEMic staff to introduce and guide educators through the created activities. The resources are available to all educators on the #GoOpenVA site at https://goopenva.org/courseware/lesson/4078/overview .

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IET Speaker Series featuring Mayuko Inoue

Post author By blenon
Post date August 31, 2021
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IET Speaker Series featuring Mayuko Inoue

Sept 23: 6-7:30 PM EST

Registration opens on September 1st at iet.novastem.us/Register

After working in Silicon Valley tech companies like Intuit, Patreon, and Netflix for six years as an iOS Engineer, Mayuko became a full-time creator in 2020. With over 400,000 YouTube subscribers, Mayuko uses her platform to help people find their way through the tech industry by sharing her own experiences navigating this world through technology, as well as sharing career advice and lifestyle videos. She is passionate about discussions around mental health, cultural identity, and creating technology with empathy and compassion. Join us on Thursday, September 23, 2021, 6 PM EST to be inspired, learn more about computer science and software engineering, and dive into how to follow your passions and create technology with care.

*This event is open to the public

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NOVA Awarded 3-Year “Makers By Design” Grant

Post author By blenon
Post date August 31, 2021
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Makers By Design Overview:

> Manufacturing and engineering technologies industries are facing a looming skills gap.

> Employers identify increasing need for soft skills (critical and design thinking, problem solving and communication) as manufacturing transitions to high-tech.

> There is a need to align engineering and engineering technology with industry defined technical and soft skills.

> Aligned with NSF includes broadening participation in STEM for underrepresented minorities.

> MBD will foster a community of practice between teachers, faculty, makerspace educators and industry.

The Grant

The curriculum will focus on design thinking projects that involve digital fabrication techniques, including 3D printing, laser engraving, and Computer Numerical Control milling. The Professional Learning program is expected to improve the educator’ teaching practices and enable them to update existing curricula and lesson plans to better align with industry relevant skills and techniques. The project also intends to create a community of practice around design thinking in digital fabrication that will build a beneficial network among secondary teachers, community college faculty, makerspace educators, and regional employers. It is expected that the project will support 36 secondary and postsecondary educators who will teach more than 3,000 K-12 and undergraduate students in the northern Virginia region. These students will have greater interest in and be better prepared for technical careers in manufacturing and engineering.

The NOVA Fab Lab has a Makerspace utilized by many NOVA programs and the community as well as a new Makers Program for college students coming up this fall

Check out the NOVA Fab Lab Page

#WeDoSTEM

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IET Convocation Fall 2021

Post author By blenon
Post date August 31, 2021
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The Fall 2021 IET Convocation was held in-person on August 18 at the NOVA Pender 3 Administrative Building. Even behind masks, everyone was happy to see one another after almost a year-and-a-half of remote learning! There were a lot of pressing and relevant items to cover that will move IET forward in preparing students equitably to build regional STEM talent.

Dean Paula Ford began the event with Faculty & Staff self- introductions. Everybody was able to meet IET’s new Associate Dean Christianne Nieuwsma for the first time in person, as well as the new IET Advising Specialists, Allison McElfresh and Sara Ali. New Faculty introduced were Laura Kelley (AN – IT), Shirley Cash (MA – IT), Mohammad Iftikhar (WO – IT), Xue “Peter” Bai (LO – IT), Ronnie Dasgupta (IT/Engineering Technologies) and Amir Mehmood (LO– Engineering Technologies). With introductions came a few departures. It was announced that both Kurk Lew (MA) and Kevin Reed (AL) have retired; and, Tierney Pitzer (LO) and Zahra Ogun (IET Staff) have recently resigned.

VP of IET & College Computing, Chad Knights spoke about IET’s promising enrollment and G3 funding. The subjects of mask mandates, CSC guidance and vaccines brought several questions. Dr. Knights also spoke of DCTP (Data Close To Practice) for this Fall, and presented a common read for the division, “Equity Talk to Equity Walk” by Estela Mara Bensimon, Lindsey E. Malcom-Piqueux, and NOVA College Wide Convocation speaker Tia Brown McNair. All were asked to read this book for ongoing discussions by September 30th (NOVA libraries have options for obtaining the book for Staff & Faculty).

NOVA Systemic Director Josh Labrie spoke about grants that we have been awarded and new grants we will be applying for. Jack Bidlack, IET Director of Strategic Initiatives, spoke specifically about our partnership with the United States Naval Community College (USNCC) and the speakers series that Brittany Hollis, IET Career Coach, is putting together this fall and spring for IET students. The morning session concluded and participants broke for lunch. Following lunch, breakout sessions regarding news on curriculum, and students filled the remainder of the afternoon. It was a successful start to our fall semester!

For more on NOVA IET programs, including Cloud Computing, Data Canter Operations and Information Technology go to https://www.nvcc.edu/iet

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NOVA Makers: College Students

Post author By blenon
Post date August 30, 2021
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The NOVA Makers program offers NOVA students an opportunity to be part of a Makers community at the NOVA Fab Lab (located on the Manassas campus). A host of opportunities are available, including (but not limited to) being able to work on personal projects, competing on teams in regional/national design challenges, learning new digital design skills, building career readiness skills, and being able to tinker! The lab is equipped with fabrication equipment including 3D printers and laser cutters.

NOVA Students can attend one of our interest meetings on Thursday, Sept. 16^th at 6:00 pm or on Friday, Sept. 17^th at 2:00 pm to learn more and receive a tour of the lab.

Please register in advance at http://fablab.novastem.us/Sign-up or at the door.

NOVA Fab Lab, Manassas Trailside Building (1^st floor), 10500 Battleview Parkway, Manassas, VA, 20109.

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Data Center Operations STEM Scholarship

New AFCOM DCO Scholarship

Post author By blenon
Post date August 30, 2021
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Potomac AFCOM Offers New Scholarship Opportunity for NOVA’s Data Center Operations Program

The Potomac chapter of AFCOM (Association for Computer Operations Management) in conjunction with the NOVA Foundation is pleased to announce the Wendy Darling Scholarship, a fund of $10,000 honoring Potomac Chapter Board Member, Stuart Dyer’s mother, who passed away in October 2020.

“AFCOM’s mission is to provide educational advancement opportunities to its members, and we extend that mission to up-and-coming experts in this community by supporting their academic growth,” said Stuart Dyer, Global Data Center Strategy and Planning at IBM, and AFCOM Potomac Chapter director of scholarships & internships. “Losing my mother to this terrible pandemic, at the young age of 60, was an enormous and tragic loss. My mother always put my education first, and it was extremely important to her that I finished college. To be able to establish an AFCOM Scholarship in her honor is something that would make her proud, and I am honored that the AFCOM Board has made this gesture of kindness.”

NOVA’s Data Center Operations program develops students for entry-level positions in the fast-growing data center industry. This curriculum is designed to prepare students for employment in data centers or companies that support data center function as a technician, operator and/or technologist.

“I’m excited to be a part of this innovative program. As a teacher and as someone in the industry, this is a win-win for everyone involved. There is so much potential at NOVA. I’m looking forward to helping students get excited about the data center industry,” said TJ Ciccone, NOVA Adjunct Faculty and Vice President, STACK Infrastracture.

Wendy Darling Scholarships will provide a pathway that eliminates the cost for entering this program.

“We are proud of and grateful for our ongoing partnership with Potomac AFCOM. The Wendy Darling scholarship award is an investment of $10,000, which will provide $500 to each new student in our first class of data center operations program. Organizations like Potomac AFCOM are leading the way for NOVA students to achieve their educational and professional dreams in a high demand field,” said Kelly Persons, executive director of the NOVA Foundation.

AFCOM Potomac supports the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia for individuals (members and non-members) who wish to learn about, participate in and network with the local data center community. AFCOM supports the advancement of data center and IT infrastructure professionals around the world by delivering comprehensive, vendor-neutral education and peer-to-peer networking to its members.

Learn more about the Wendy Darling scholarship by visiting: https://potomacafcom.webstarts.com/wendy-darling.html.

The NOVA Foundation is governed by a board of directors whose members come from both the public and private sectors in Northern Virginia and may hold their positions for up to three years. For additional information about the NOVA Foundation, visit https://giving.nvcc.edu/. For press inquiries, contact Hoang Nguyen, public information officer, at hdnguyen@nvcc.edu.

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LCPS Career Camp Equips Students for Workforce

Post author By blenon
Post date August 30, 2021
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Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) IET Division, NOVA SySTEMic and NOVA faculty members partnered with Loudoun County Public Schools to offer a virtual week-long Summer Career Camp for rising 9th graders through graduating seniors July 19-23, 2021.

During the career camp, students learned how to create effective resumes, developed their team building skills through interactive virtual activities, and participated in interview workshops. Students also completed a mock interview and participated in virtual networking activities with industry partners and NOVA faculty and staff. Students who attended all camp sessions were sent a Certificate of Completion.

One participant shared the following: “My experience at the Career camp was phenomenal. I was taught a large spectrum of things, from the importance of networking to ways I could improve my resume. Additionally, I participated in a mock interview where I got the opportunity to polish my communication skills and socialize with possible employers. I am so glad I got the opportunity to participate in the camp, it was such an amazing experience.”

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(ISC)² Award for NOVA Cybersecurity Faculty

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Post date August 30, 2021
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NOVA Cybersecurity faculty member Marouane Balmakhtar, is a 2021 (ISC)² Global Achievement Award Recipient!

This Senior Professional Award is given in recognition of the 5G Cybersecurity and Security Awareness project. This is the highest global award an individual can receive in the cybersecurity field!

Prof. Balmakthar said “I am so humbled and excited to have received this. As a representative of the NOVA /NVCC family, this is a testament for us and for the work that we do as part of our designation as a Center of Academic Excellence and for our unmatched Cybersecurity leadership.”

Global Achievement Award recipients will be celebrated during (ISC)²’s premier global event, Security Congress, which will be held both virtually and in-person on October 18-20, 2021. More info about the event at https://www.isc2.org/Congress#

Prof. Balmakhtar can be reached at mbalmakhtar@nvcc.edu

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